It’s time for our last destination in Nicaragua and our expectations are not too high. There’s hardly any info on Jiquilillo in our travel guide book and we haven’t met any other tourists that ventured that far north. So we’re very positively surprised when we arrive in the small fishing village. The place is beautiful and puts a spell on us right away. The following ten days we spend here are packed with highlights.

The adventure starts with a very dusty and bumpy ride on a school bus. We’ve seen and experienced a few things by now, but this is something else. An endless queue of street vendors rushes inside and each one of them praises their goods at a higher volume. There’s nothing you can’t buy: From miracle cures for Alzheimer’s disease to disposable razors and pizza (which the vendor bought at a pizza place around the corner and now sells per piece at double the price). Surprisingly, there’s a buyer for everything. We especially like the fact that the vendors are overwhelmed by the jostle they’re causing themselves and make jokes about it. We sit back in our seats and enjoy the show.

Karma points: 0

Late afternoon, we arrive at the back of beyond, also known as Rancho Esperanza. We quickly realize: This is where the good people go on vacation. After our first meal seated together at the big wooden table, we almost feel ashamed. It seems like everyone else has founded an NGO or smuggled a poor refugee in the back of his car.

Karma points: still 0

It’s time to catch up on some karma. The next days we live very eco-friendly: We eat mainly vegetarian and local food (+1 point). The things that come out after eating are disposed of in a plastic bucket and their smells eliminated with wood shavings (+1 point). We are not using our fan in our very airy bamboo hut and therefore save energy (+1). And since there’s no internet, we spend a lot of time reading books and having good conversations with fellow travelers (+1). Seriously, we are really enjoying our time here!

Karma points: +4

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But all this wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for surfing. And THAT we get to do a lot! The waves are perfect and empty. Every once in a while, there’s a friendly local or another tourist out there with us. The main topic of conversation for the surfers and beachgoers is – yet again – a horse. A dead one, though. It died right on the beach the night before we arrived. Dogs and vultures are very happy about the free meal, everyone else not so much. Unfortunately for us surfers, the cadaver is right in front of a very nice peak. We wait a few days and when only the bones are left, we surf there – and love it! Sorry, little horse, we gotta name this break the „Dead Horse Point“ (-1 point).

It’s not really going too well on the karma front. It’s time to do some good! We visit a local sea turtle rescue center and release some baby turtles into the sea (+1). I can almost convince myself that they’ll all survive and grow old and Marcel manages to refrain from any jokes about the local delicacy of sea turtle soup (+1). When we proudly tell everyone about our good deed, we learn that everyone else has done the same – some even more than once!

Karma points: +5

Kurz vor der Freilassung

Wir waren wohl alle etwas angespannt…

Und hier gehts raus ins Meer

It’s tough, but we just can’t keep up with the others. We’re proud of our five points, though! And we’ll always remember the wonderful and relaxing time we spent at this gorgeous place. It was the perfect ending to our nearly three-month-stay in Nicaragua.